


Experience

by Muffins17



Category: The Walking Dead (Telltale Video Game)
Genre: Kenny high-key has a crush on Lee, Lee is low-key into that, M/M, The Beginnings Of A Crush, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, a few jokes here and there, but he high-key doesn’t know it yet, concussion, strongly hinted KenLee, this takes place during the first three months of the apocalypse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-14
Updated: 2019-02-14
Packaged: 2019-10-28 14:39:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,703
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17789273
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Muffins17/pseuds/Muffins17
Summary: After a hunt goes horribly wrong (because Kenny was being an impulsive idiot), Lee has to take care of him.





	Experience

Light penetrated the darkness as Kenny’s eyes started to flutter open. He could hear the faint sound of leaves crunching under heavy feet and feel the fresh autumn breeze on his face; two of the many things that brought him comfort during his stressful moments.

For some reason, something didn’t sit right. The door of his and Katjaa’s room at the motel was always shut when he went to sleep and he never heard a deep thumping noise when his head rested against the pillows. His knees and back were supported by something hooked under his legs and wrapped around his shoulders. Was he in a hammock or was someone holding him in a bridal carry? It was probably the second one, since he could feel the light yet secure grip on his back and the soft sounds of breathing and a heart beating in his ear; another calming sensation that helped him relax.

Either way, he couldn’t figure out why he was being carried this way, or even at all. Was he on a hunt for food and he got ambushed by bandits? Were they carrying him back to their base so that they could interrogate him about his group? He tried to remember what happened but nothing came to mind.

As his vision started to come into focus, a sudden pain spread from the back of his head to the rest of his body, causing him to wince and let out a slight groan. Both of his legs hurt like hell; his left one felt like he pulled all the muscles in it while his right one stung in a part of his thigh that he couldn’t quite locate.

So much for a moment of comfort.

”Well, looks like someone’s stupidity came back to bite him in the ass.”

At the sudden voice, Kenny’s eyes snapped open and darted around the area he was in in panic. He instantly regretted it, however, when another wave of agony hit him in the back of his skull, causing his hands to fly up to his forehead where he felt a scratchy material wrapped around it. Must be bandages.

The voice from before spoke up again, their tone softer, “Easy there, Ken. Don’t move too fast. You might have a concussion.”

It took quite a bit of time for Kenny to recognise who the voice belonged to. With this realisation combined with the knowledge of getting migraines if he moved too fast, he slowly opened his eyes to see the passing of red trees in the background, the small rays of sunlight coming through them and the white wispy clouds in the vast blue sky.

The last thing Kenny expected to see though, was the sight of his best friend Lee to be carrying him in his arms through the woods.

Once he found his voice, he looked up at his friend and stuttered out, “W-wh...W-what the f-fuck...happened...?”

Lee looked back at him for a moment before sighing, “Well, you obviously don’t remember how we got here, so I’ll spare you the details.”

Kenny nodded his head slowly and looked up at him with dazed eyes as he listened...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

_”Fuck, fuck, FUCK, FUCK, FUCK!”_

_Kenny screamed long lists of profanity as he dangled from a tree by a rope he got himself caught in. Bandits had been hiding in these woods since Day One, and they had the tactic of setting traps so that they could take out offenders. Unfortunately for Kenny, he did not see these traps laid out in front of him, and despite Lee’s warning not to step any closer, he ended up being pulled off the ground by his left leg and all the blood started rushing to his head._

_Lee was beginning to wander whether or not he should bring Kenny on these runs anymore if he was going to be this fucking stupid. He managed to take out most of their attackers with his rifle and now only one remained._

_The last one was hiding behind some brush closest to where Kenny was dangling from the tree while Lee was taking cover behind another trunk next to it. He had to make a careful shot so that he didn’t end up shooting Kenny by accident. It was not an easy task._

_He aimed his rifle at the offender and pulled the trigger. He soon learned, however, that the bullet didn’t meet its correct target when he heard a loud “FUCK!” from Kenny. He peeked out of his hiding place for a brief second to see that Kenny’s free leg was now bleeding. Shit, the fucker must’ve dodged his shot. So much for not shooting Kenny._

_“What are you doing?!” He heard Kenny screaming at him, “Shoot this bastard!”_

Thanks, Captain Obvious,  _Lee thought to himself as he came out of his cover to get an angle on his target, who was aiming his handgun at where Kenny was hanging._ Shit! He’s gonna kill him!  _Careful not to make the same mistake again, Lee aimed at the raider’s legs and shot him in the kneecaps, making him drop his handgun as he fell to the ground. Lee was about to take him out when he realised he had no bullets left. Before the fallen bandit could snatch back his handgun, Lee hit him over the head with his rifle, knocking him out cold._

_Lee saw something move out of the corner of his eye as soon as he picked up the handgun. He quickly realised they were walkers._  Shit, as if this couldn’t get any worse. _As soon as he finished that thought, he caught sight of something that made him both panic and want to facepalm himself at the same time; Kenny had taken out a knife from his pocket and went to cut the rope. But Lee noticed he was holding the knife above his hand rather than under it._ Oh, no.

_”Kenny, don’t-!” He yelled but was unable to finish before the rope was cut and Kenny was sent falling to the ground where his head hit a boulder._

Fuck, he couldn’t have survived a hit that brutal, could he?  _Lee couldn’t finish that thought just yet, because the walkers were nearing Kenny’s fallen form and were going to devour him if he didn’t step in. Using the handgun, he shot the walkers closest to Kenny and ran to him. Once he had him in his arms, he made haste out of the walker-infested area._

_After a few minutes of running, Lee decided they were in a safe enough area in the woods to check for life signs. He looked worriedly at Kenny who was out cold like he’d never seen. He really hoped he wasn’t dead; the guy had a wife and son to look out for, and he couldn’t imagine how they’d react if they found out their husband and father had died for stupid reasons._

_He knelt down in the grass and pressed his ear to Kenny’s chest where his heart was._

_Ba-dum, ba-dum, ba-dum..._

_Lee_ _sighed in relief,_ he’s okay. 

_Good, they were off to a good start. Now that he knew that Kenny was alive, he had to clean the bleeding wounds in his leg and the back of his head. He held his unconscious companion in his right arm as he fetched a flask of alcohol, some gauze and bandages from his back pockets. He put the gauze in his right hand and poured the alcohol into it, then he turned Kenny over to inspect the wound._

_Jesus, just looking at it made him shudder in discomfort and was slightly hesitant to put the gauze on it. He was almost glad his friend was unconscious right now because he would be squirming and swearing up a storm if he was awake._

_Just as he finished dressing the wound, he heard a sound coming from the bushes. He pulled out his gun defensively as he clutched Kenny protectively to his chest. Only when the figure emerged from the bushes did he lower the gun._

_”Jesus, Mark!” Lee exclaimed in an exasperated manner as he put the gun back._

_Mark ran towards them, rifle in hand. “Lee, thank God. I heard gunshots and screaming. I figured it was Kenny, so I came looking for you guys and...” He stopped when he caught sight of Kenny in Lee’s arms. “Christ, what happened to him? Bandits?”_

_Lee nodded and cringed when his eyes drifted to the bullet wound in his friend’s leg. “Yeah...it wasn’t an easy one to get out of.”_

_Mark took off his backpack and rummaged through it, “Better get the bullet out then. The last thing we need is an infection.” He pulled out a pair of tweezers as he finished that sentence._

_Lee grimaced at the thought. He didn’t want to have to deal with any more flesh wounds, once was enough for him._

_After cleaning and dressing the wound, Lee turned to Mark. “You go on ahead. I’ll catch up.”_

_Mark looked at him and hesitated, “Are you sure?”_

_”Don’t worry,” Lee assured him, “If I can handle bandits, I can definitely handle him.”_

_”Okay,” Mark said, slinging his bag over his shoulder and picking up his rifle, “I’ll see you at the Motor Inn,” and with that he took off into the woods._

_Lee hoisted Kenny into his arms as he stood up. His eyes drifted down to look at him. It almost amazed him how his friend could take a hit like that and still have a peaceful look on his face. It was a rare sight to see when everything around them was slowly falling apart. It made Lee smile knowing that there were still some good things in the world, and that Kenny was going to be okay._

_He sighed, “They’re probably going to give me shit for this later,” he said to himself as he started walking._

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

”Now,” Lee began as he wrapped a clean bandage around his friend’s injured leg, “What did we learn from this experience?”

”That you really need to work on your aim?” Kenny guessed in bitter mockery.

His only answer was a hard glare as Lee cleared his throat.

”That I’m an impulsive idiot,” Kenny mumbled, half-guessing and half-answering his question.

Lee nodded, “And?”

Kenny huffed and pouted like a child, arms crossed and looking away from him, “And I should listen to you more.”

That seemed to put Lee in a good mood. “Right.” He moved to stand up from the chair beside the bed, “I’ll be on watch. If you need anything, I’ll let Katjaa know.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“W-wait!”

As soon as Lee stood up, he felt a tight grip on the sleeve of his jacket. He turned to face Kenny who looked at him with a slight panic in his eyes.

”Yeah? What is it?” He asked with concern.

Kenny’s face started glowing with embarrassment as he glanced at Lee with a shy expression.

”Uh...c-could you, um...” he struggled a little before starting again, “Could you stay here for a bit? At least until Kat comes into the room. I, uh...I don’t wanna accidentally fall asleep and possibly never wake up again...I can’t do that to her or Duck...”

Lee was surprised at this request, mainly because it was Kenny who made it. Usually he would have to  _insist_ on staying behind to help if his friend needed it, because said friend was a stubborn ass who couldn’t bear the thought of not being able to do shit on his own.

Then again, Kenny did seem to depend on him quite a lot. He just refused to admit it.

”I...” Lee hesitated, remembering that he had something else important he needed to do.  _I should be on watch, but..._

He assessed everything in his head carefully. He still had ten minutes left to keep himself busy, and Katjaa was likely almost done sorting the medicine and other supplies for the group.

After a few seconds of thinking, he finally answered, “Sure, I’ll stick around.”

Kenny looked at him with hopeful eyes, “Really?”

”Yeah,” Lee said with a smile, “A few minutes couldn’t hurt.”

The blush and shy look from earlier returned to the older man’s face as his moustache turned upwards with a small smile. “T-thanks. I appreciate it...”

A moment of silence passed between the two until Kenny broke it. “So...is there a reason why you decided to carry me here like a fuckin’ princess?”

Lee raised an eyebrow at this, snickering lightly as he shrugged his shoulders, “Is there a reason why I didn’t leave you in the walker-infested woods with a severe head injury?”

”Couldn’t you have just slung me over your shoulder or-?” Kenny tried to suggest, but Lee cut him off.

”Blood would’ve rushed to your head. No.” His voice was stern, but he found he couldn’t help enjoying just how flustered Kenny was over a simple bridal carry.

_Really that much of a tough guy, huh?_

”On your back-?”

Lee cut him off again. “Not a chance in Hell. That would’ve required you to hold onto me. You were out cold, in no condition to do that whatsoever.”

Kenny hesitated, knowing he was going to get interrupted again, but said it anyway, “...dragged me?”

”I was already doing that,” Lee answered, humour clear in his tone now, “I’ll make sure to get you some ice for that burn.”

Kenny stared at him blankly for a few seconds before slapping a hand over his own mouth to keep from snickering.

Lee couldn’t help smirking.

”...Oh, fuck you. I’ve got a concussion, that’s hilarious,” he snapped, trying and failing to sound like he wasn’t going to burst out laughing at that moment.

Lee pressed a hand to his own chest in faux flattery, “Aw, thanks.”

”You know I’m bein’ sarcastic, right?” Kenny finally managed to sound stoic, though was still struggling to keep a straight face.

”Then why were you laughing?”

”I wasn’t,” Kenny argued, as if Lee was ever going to buy it.

_He clearly doesn’t know me very well yet._

”Keep telling yourself that, Ken. You’ll eventually see through your own bullshit.”

Kenny scowled. “I’m starting to think that keepin’ you here was a bad idea,” he grumbled.

”Oh, really?” Lee countered, tone sly.

”Really.”

”Well, okay then,” Lee sighed in a mocking tone, shrugging his shoulders, “I guess I’ll just have to walk right out this door and start my job on watch. I mean it’s not like you’re gonna fall asleep the second I leave or anything.”

”I-!” Kenny was going to say something back, but was interrupted by the door opening.

”Dad!” Duck ran into the room, his mother following in after.

”Kenny, I’m back.”

Lee turned his head to where Katjaa had come in, “You’re right on time.” He stood up from his chair and walked towards the door. “Well, I’ve gotta go to my shift. See ya.”

”Lee...”

Lee put his hand on the door knob but stopped when he heard Kenny speak, “Hm?”

Kenny opened his mouth, but couldn’t bring himself to talk, and turned away, “...nothin’.”

”Lee!” Lilly could be heard from outside, “You’re on watch!”

”One minute!” Lee called to her before turning back to face Katjaa. “Take care of him.”

”I will,” she assured him as she smiled gratefully, “Thank you for looking after him. Duck and I appreciate it.”

Lee smiled back, “Anytime. Bye,” and exited the room before closing the door.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Kenny stared at the door for a few seconds before a look of guilt took over his features and he held his flushed face in his hands. Katjaa was quick to notice.

”Are you alright?” She asked him with concern.

”I’m fine, Kat,” he mumbled, “I’m fine.”

”Why is your face red, Dad?” Duck asked with curiosity.

”He’s probably running a fever, Ducky. I’ll go get the medicine.”

But Kenny wasn’t so sure that was the case. He was certain that it was because he was too embarrassed to properly thank the person that saved him from his own stupidity.

Or maybe it was something else, something he couldn’t explain, even to himself. 

 


End file.
